Self, Darin: Travel Grant - 2017-2018

Many political parties which compete in democratic elections have roots in a country's authoritarian experience. A consensus has emerged that these parties may carry antecedent characteristics that mold how they behave in the democratic context. My project improves our understanding of the extent to which authoritarian successor parties adapt when faced with a shift to democracy. Specifically, I focus on these parties’ methods of member recruitment, and how this constrains or enables electoral success. I expect to find that the electoral success of authoritarian successor parties will be constrained by their recruitment strategies. Authoritarian parties which recruit heavily from rural areas will have greater difficulty making inroads to urban areas necessary to boost electoral support in democratic elections.